In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Cut the butter into small pieces and work it into the flour usint a pastry blender or two knives (I use my fingers) until mixture resembles coarse meal with some pea-sized lumps of butter remaining. Mix in the mashed sweet potatoes and then add the buttermilk; stir quickly into flour mixture until is barely combined. Don’t overmix.Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface, and work it very gently until dough comes together but is still slightly lumpy. If the dough is too sticky, add a little additional flour. Shape into a disk, and pat to an even 1-inch thickness. With a floured 2-inch biscuit cutter, cut out biscuits as close together as possible. Gather together scraps, and repeat to cut out more biscuits (do not reuse scraps more than once).Preheat oven to 425. Arrange the biscuits on a baking sheet lined with a Silpat or parchment paper. Brush the tops with melted butter. Bake until golden, twenty-two to twenty-four minutes.

I heard about this recipe listening to The Splendid Table on NPR a couple of Sundays ago. The original is here. I made it tonight for a neighborhood dinner and put it on a sweet potato biscuit with wilted arugula.

First, make the caramel sauce.

3/4 cup water
1 cup sugar

In a small, heavy saucepan with a long handle put one quarter cup of the water and all the sugar in the saucepan and place over medium-low heat. To ensure that the sugar melts evenly, stir with a metal spoon. After about two minutes, when the sugar is relatively smooth and opaque, stop stirring and let the mixture cook undisturbed. Small bubbles will form at the edge of the pan and gradually grow larger and move toward the center. A good seven minutes into cooking, bubbles will cover the entire surface and the mixture will be at a vigorous simmer. As the sugar melts, the mixture will go from opaque to clear. While you're waiting, fill a bowl or a roasting pan with cold water deep enough to come up halfway on the side of the saucepan.

If a little sugar crystallizes on the sides of the pan, don’t worry. After about fifteen minutes, the sugar will begin to caramelize and deepen in color. You will see a progression from champagne yellow to light tea to dark tea. When smoke starts rising, around the twenty-minute mark, remove the pan from the heat and slowly swirl it. Watch the sugar closely as it will turn darker by the second; a reddish cast will set in (think the color of a big, bold red wine) as the bubbles become a lovely burnt orange. Pay attention to the color of the caramel underneath the bubbles. When the caramel is the color of black coffee or molasses, place the pan in the bowl of cold water to stop the cooking. The hot pan bottom will sizzle on contact. Add the remaining one half cup water; don’t worry, the sugar will seize up but later dissolve. After the dramatic bubble reaction ceases, return the pan to the stove over medium heat.

Heat the caramel, stirring until it dissolves into the water. Remove from the heat and let cool for 10 minutes before pouring into a small heatproof glass jar. Set aside to cool completely. The result will seem slightly viscous, while the flavor will be bittersweet. Cover and store the sauce indefinitely in your kitchen cupboard.

On a dinner plate or in a bowl large enough to hold the fish, stir together the brown sugar, pepper, salt, caramel sauce, and fish sauce. Add the catfish and coat with the mixture, turning the steaks to make sure that all surfaces are evenly exposed to the seasonings. Set aside for fifteen minutes to marinate.

Heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in the pan and add the garlic. When the garlic is fragrant, add the catfish and all the sauce from the plate to the pan. There may be some intense bubbling. Adjust the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for ten minutes to develop the flavors; during this initial period, the fish will more or less cook in the steam trapped in the pan. Expect the liquid to bubble vigorously. A little bit of steam may shoot from under the lid.

Uncover, add water to almost cover the fish, and bring to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook for about thrity minutes, or until the liquid has reduced by half and has thickened slightly, forming a sauce. Taste the sauce and adjust the flavor with a pinch of brown sugar to remove any harsh edges, or a sprinkling of fish sauce for more savory depth.

Slice the sweet potato biscuits in half. Put a piece of the catfish on each biscuit, drizzle with the pan sauce and top with wilted arugula (that's arugula you threw in a hot pan with a little bit of oil) and serve.

Peace,
Milton

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Cut the butternut squash in cubes and toss with olive oil. Place on a baking sheet and roast in a 400 oven. Check after about fifteen minutes. You want it to be soft and browned a little. Remove and let cool. Then put it in a food processor and add the other ingredients. You can also add a couple of tablespoons of water, if it seems too thick. Process until it is creamy -- two or three minutes, at least.

Today is the last day for one of my favorite people at the computer store. When I asked for his favorite cookie, he said, "White chocolate macadamia nut." A man of great taste. I went searching for a recipe and found this one here to be the most helpful. And now I share it with you.

Heat milk until it is beginning to simmer and whisk in grits gradually. Add salt and cook until grits pull away from the side of the saucepan. Remove from heat and stir in cheese, bacon, and pepper; keep stirring until cheese is melted. Spread out on a greased baking sheet and let cool. Place in refrigerator for at least two hours.

To prepare grits balls, put cold grits mixture into a bowl and roll grits into 1 inch balls. Whisk together eggs and 1/4 cup water. Put breadcrumbs in another bowl. Dip balls in egg wash, and roll in breadcrumbs.

Pour oil to depth of 3 inches in a large, heavy skillet; heat over medium-high heat to 350°. Fry fritters, in batches, 3 to 4 minutes or until golden brown, turning occasionally. Drain on paper towels. Keep fritters warm on a wire rack in a pan in a 225° oven up to 30 minutes. Serve warm.

NOTE: You can make the grits balls and then cover and chill in a single layer up to 4 hours, if you want to make them ahead of time and then fry as directed. You may also freeze on a baking sheet for 30 minutes or until firm and then transfer to a zip-top plastic bag and freeze. Cook frozen fritters as directed, increasing cooking time to 5 to 6 minutes or until golden and centers are thoroughly heated.

Sunday, September 23, 2012

Melt the unsalted butter in a sauté pan and add the rice and stir for about a minute. Heat the milk in a saucepan or a micowave safe dish. Don't boil it, but get it good and hot so that it doesn't lower the temperature of the risotto when it's added. Pour about a cup and a half of milk into the pan and stir until the milk is almost absorbed. Add the sugar and another cup and a half do milk. You will need to stir almost continuously. As the milk evaporates, add another cup of milk to the rice and continue stirring until the milk is absorbed and the rice is tender but not mushy. Turn off the heat and stir in the chocolate chips until they are melted and the risotto has reduced to a creamy consistency. Let sit covered for about ten minutes before serving.

I served the dessert topped with marscapone cheese that was mixed with confectioner’s sugar and some fresh berries.

Serves 8-10.

Peace,
Milton

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Ginger and I are heading out of town for a couple of weeks, which means I will be gone for a couple of weeks from my job at the computer store, which means I won’t be taking in cookies for a while. These circumstances inspired my recipe for today, which I can my “Elvis Has Left the Building Cookies,” or peanut butter-banana-chocolate chip treats.

Cream the butters, banana, and sugar together in an electric mixer. As I have said before, I usually let it run five to seven minutes. Then add the eggs and mix until combined. In a separate bowl, mix together

Mix dry ingredients together and then add gradually to butter mixture. Then add

1 12 oz. bag of Heath Bits o' Brickle

Divide
dough into four equal parts and form each section into a log about an
inch and a half to two inches in circumference. Chill for at least two
hours. You can keep them for up to three days. When you're ready to
cook, preheat the oven to 350. Line your baking sheet with a Silpat or
parchment paper. Slice the dough into 1/4 inch slices and place them on
the baking sheet. I find I can cook 18 on at a time. Bake 8-9 minutes.

Divide dough into four equal parts and form each section into a log about an inch and a half to two inches in circumference. Chill for at least two hours. You can keep them for up to three days. When you're ready to cook, preheat the oven to 350. Line your baking sheet with a Silpat or parchment paper. Slice the dough into 1/4 inch slices and place them on the baking sheet. I find I can cook 18 on at a time. Bake 8-9 minutes.

Sunday, July 22, 2012

These cookies went to work with me along with the coco-choco-peanut butter ones because some of my co-workers are allergic to nuts and a couple of others, inexplicably, don't like chocolate. I started with this recipe and made a couple of changes. The name for these cookies came from one of my co-workers since they have both zucchini and pumpkin seeds.

If the pumpkin seeds are not roasted, spread them out on a baking sheet and put them in the oven for about seven or eight minutes. Stir and return them to the oven, checking them every two or three minutes until they begin to brown. Set aside to cool.

Mix the butter and sugar together for five or six minutes, until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix again.

Combine the flour and the next four ingredients and then add it gradually to the butter mixture. When they are well mixed, add the zucchini, then the oatmeal. Finally, stir in the pumpkin seeds.

Use a 1-ounce scoop to drop the cookies on a baking sheet lined with either a Sil-pat or parchment paper. Cook for 11-13 minutes. Makes a little over five dozen cookies.

I've been on a cookie baking binge mainly because I bake them and take them with me to work at the computer store where they are well received. This recipe comes at the suggestion of Hakim, one of my co-workers and slightly adapted from a recipe I found here.

Start by toasting the coconut. Spread it evenly on a baking sheet and put it in a 350 degree oven for about seven minutes. Stir it and then continue in two or three minute segments until it is a little brown. :Let it cool on the baking sheet and it will brown a little more. Set aside.

Lower oven temperature to 325.

Cream the butter and peanut butter together until creamy and then add the sugars. Let the mixer run for a good five minutes until the mixture is fluffly. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix again.

Mix the flour, salt, and baking soda together and then add it gradually to the butter mixture. Once they are combined, add the coconut and the chocolate chips.

I use a 1-ounce scoop to drop the cookies on a baking sheet lined with a Sil-pat. You can also use parchment paper. Cook the cookies for 10-12 minutes. Makes about five dozen.

Put the julienned basil in a food processor and chop it into fine pieces. add 1/4 cup of flour to basil and combine until it creates a green flour. Whisk that in with the rest of the flour and the other dry ingredients. Add to the butter mixture a little bit at a time, mixing until combined.

1/2 cup lemon sugar (I found it at Whole Foods)

Using a one ounce cookie scoop, drop the cookies into the sugar and roll until they are covered. Put them on a cookie sheet and press them down lightly with your hand. Bake at 350 for twelve minutes. Makes about three dozen.

Peace,
Milton

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

The story behind these cookies begins with a request from one of my colleagues at the Apple Store for a sugar cookie with either chocolate chips or toffee. I thought, “Why not both?” The first incarnation was pretty good, but I had some ideas on improvements. Our friends Areli and Leon are opening a coffee shop in our neighborhood called Cocoa Cinnamon, so, with them in mind, the second version of these I rolled in sugar mixed with both cocoa powder and cinnamon, along with a touch of chili powder. And there’s one more thing. Roberto, the chef at Old Havana Sandwich Shop, renders manteca from the pork they slow cook everyday. I use that for the shortening.

These may be the best cookies I have ever made, or at least so say most all recent reviewers.

Using a 1 oz scoop, drop balls of the dough into the sugar mixture and roll them to coat. Put them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a Silpat and bake at 350 for 9-10 minutes. I choose the lesser time because it make a wonderfully soft cookie.

Add the dry mixture gradually to the butter-sugar mixture. Form 1 ounce sized balls and roll them in sugar before putting them on the baking sheet. Cook at 375 for eleven to thirteen minutes. I cook my one ounce cookies for eleven, the two ounce cookies for thirteen.

If you have a gas grill, turn the burner on high and put the poblano peppers directly over the flame until they char. Put them in a mixing bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let them sweat for ten or fifteen minutes. Take them out of the bowl and, using paper towels, wipe the outer skin and char off the peppers. Also clean out the seeds from the inside. If you want more heat in your soup, add more seeds. Try not to wash the peppers clean; this affects the flavor. (If you don’t have a gas burner, put them in the oven for about twenty minutes in a small pan covered with foil and then sweat them.)

Peel the onions and cut them in half. Put the flat side of the onion down and cut across the grain, so you get little half moon slices. Cut the leeks in half and due the same thing. Put about two tablespoons of olive oil in a stock pot over medium heat and add the onions, leeks, and garlic. Cover, stirring occasionally, until the onions begin to caramelize – about fifteen minutes.
Cut the asparagus into one to two inch segments and toss with olive oil and then spread out on a baking sheet. Cook in a 350 oven for ten to twelve minutes. Take out of the oven and add to the stock pot, along with poblanos, the Arborio rice and the stock. (The rice will make the soup creamy without adding cream.) Bring the mixture to a boil and then lower the heat and let the soup simmer for about a half an hour.

Remove from the heat and add the lime juice. Puree using an immersion blender, or let the soup cool a bit and carefully puree in batches in either a food processor or a blender.
When you serve the soup, Drizzle good olive oil over the top.

For Christmas, Ginger gave me The New Southern Latino Table, which is an awesome cookbook. This recipe came from there. I made one small change in that I used pumpkin seeds that had already been roasted, rather than buying raw ones.

In a medium saucepan,
combine the sugar and honey and cook, stirring, over medium-high heat
until the sugar melts. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring for
8-9 minutes, or until it turns a dark amber color; it should register
between 300’ F and 310’F on a candy thermometer. Remove from
the heat and stir in the seeds.

Spread the mixture carefully onto the
prepared pan (it will be very hot).

Cool completely (about 25 minutes)
and break it into pieces.

This tastes great on its own, but I served it with my Coffee Flan and it added a nice touch.

Preheat the oven to 200F. Place a 9 inch round x 2 inch deep cake pan on the sheet and warm it in the oven. (You can also make smaller individual flans in ramekins, if you like; warm them the same way.)
In a heavy medium saucepan, cook sugar over medium heat, stirring frequently, until melted and golden brown, 5 to 8 minutes. Take your time melting the sugar, but move quickly when it reaches a dark amber and pour the caramelized sugar syrup into the warm cake pan. (Take it out of the oven, first.) Tip the pan around to coat the bottom and up sides a bit with the caramel syrup. Set aside.

Raise the oven to 325. In a saucepan or the microwave, bring about 3 cups of water to a boil. Combine the three milks, the eggs, egg yolk, vanilla, coffee, and bourbon in a blender. Mix on low speed for one minute until everything is completely mixed and smooth. (If there is too much liquid, blend in two batches to prevent overflowing.) Pour the custard into the caramel-lined pan and place it (or the ramekins) is a larger dish or baking sheet that has high sides and then put it on the middle rack of the oven. Carefully pour boiling water into the larger holding pan to a depth of about an inch. Bake uncovered for thirty minutes and then check it. If custard is still not set (which mine usually is not) increase the temperature to 350 and set the timer in ten minute increments and continue cooking until custard is set and a thin knife blade inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a rack and then refrigerate covered with plastic for at least two or three hours. You can refrigerate it over night.

In a heavy skillet, melt the sugar slowly, stirring often, until the sugar melted and has turned a
light amber color, about five minutes. Slowly add 1 1/3 cups of the coffee, stir
ring constantly. Be prepared for a lot of steam.
In a small bowl, blend the cornstarch and the remaining 1/3 cup of coffee until
smooth. Stir the mixture into the hot coffee-sugar mixture. Continue cooking
over low heat and stir until the sauce boils and thickens, about 8 to 10 minutes. Let it cool and then refrigerate.

Set both the sauce and the flan out of the fridge for a couple of hours before serving. When you are ready to serve the flan, run a thin knife around the edge of pan between custard and pan. (Press the knife against the pan, not the custard.) Place a deep serving plate with a rim over the pan and invert it to move the flan to the serving dish. Carefully lift up pan and allow syrup to run over the flan. Cut into wedges and enjoy. I served the desserts with chards of Pumpkin Seed Brittle.